Welcome to this week's Chutes and Ladders, our roundup of hirings and retirings throughout the industry. Please send the good word--or the bad--from your shop to Michael Gibney (email | Twitter) or Amirah Al Idrus (email | Twitter), and we will feature it here at the end of each week.
Fred Hutchinson brings on ex-Merck cancer R&D chief Gilliland as president
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has tapped well-known drug investigator Gary Gilliland to become its new president. Beginning on the first work day in January, Gilliland, who recently completed a stretch at Merck ($MRK) as head of oncology drug research, will take the helm of one of the country's top cancer research institutes. Among other things, the Hutch has played a leading role in launching the CAR-T and TCR player Juno, which is now going public. Gilliland's lengthy resume includes a professorship at Harvard University and a stint at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. And he says the timing is right to focus on new ways to cure cancer. "This is the perfect time and perfect place to develop curative approaches for cancer," said Gilliland, a physician-scientist. "Everything I've done in my career has pointed here." Release
Biotech > James Burns will head the Sanofi ($SNY) Genzyme R&D center effective December 1. Release > Scholar Rock appointed Gregory Carven as vice president of antibody discovery and protein sciences. Release > Batu Biologics has recruited Deyu Fang to its Scientific Advisory Board. Release > Biothera named Jeremy Graff as SVP of pharmaceutical research. Release > Synchrogenix has appointed Kelley Kendle as its new CEO. Release > Jade Therapeutics has named ophthalmology pioneer Dr. Randall Olson to its board of directors. Release > Retrophin ($RTRX) names Margaret Valeur-Jensen as general counsel. Release > Dr. James M. Wilson has joined ReGenX Biosciences as its new chief scientific adviser. Release > BioTelemetry announced that Dr. Eric Prystowsky will transition from the board of directors to a medical advisory role. Release > Shire ($SHPG) has appointed Jeff Poulton as interim CFO, to begin Jan. 1, 2015. Release > Nopras Technologies appointed Stewart Rosenberg to be the company's director of business development for East Coast operations. Release > Anterios brought on Fabian Tenenbaum as its chief financial officer and chief business officer. Release > Eric Shaff joined 2014 Fierce 15 company Seres Health as chief financial officer. Release > Intercept ($ICPT) appointed Lisa Bright as its head of Europe. Release > PTC Therapeutics ($PTCT) named Dr. Tuyen Ong its new head of clinical development and translational research. Release > Xrpro brought on Richard Cunningham as president and CEO. Release > Ablynx appointed Johan Heylen as its chief commercial officer. Release > Vectura named Andrew Oakley as its group CFO. Release > Novira Therapeutics has appointed Dr. Brian Daniels as a member of its scientific advisory board. Release > Catabasis named Angelika Fretzen as its vice president of development. Release Pharma > Navitor Pharmaceuticals, a 2014 Fierce 15 company, has appointed Eddine Saiah as vice president of drug discovery. Release > Moberg Pharma AB appoints Jeff Vernimb as general manager of U.S. business. Release > Breckenridge Pharmaceutical announces the appointment of Larry Lapila as president. Release > Intellipharmaceutics ($IPCI) appoints Domenic Della Penna as new CFO. Release > LEO Pharma appointed Barbara Osborne as president and CEO of its U.S. Region. Release > Piedmont Pharmaceuticals hired Stan Cruitt to be vice president of marketing services. Release > Agile Therapeutics ($AGRX) appoints John Hubbard to its board of directors. Release > Purdue Pharma appointed Dr. Gail Cawkwell to be its vice president of medical affairs. Release > Laura Clague joined Retrophin as the company's chief financial officer. Release > Trinity Pharma appointed Dennis Morgan as its chief financial officer and appointed Steven Hirschfeld to its board of directors. Release > Antares Pharma named James Fickenscher as its senior vice president and chief financial officer. Release Med tech > Mela Sciences ($MELA) names Michael Stewart its next president and CEO. Release Diagnostics > Vermillion ($VRML) appointed charter members to a new Strategic & Medical Advisory Board: Dr. Daniel Chan of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Dr. Robert Bristow from the University of California, Irvine; and Calaneet Balas, CEO of the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance. Release |